All cities have a hidden side. Tourists who linger in the nice neighbourhoods probably find the monuments and buildings that look like the images in their guidebook. A stroll along the Champs Elysées or the Avenue Montaigne doesn’t disappoint; it will be flashy, bright and… very expensive! On the cleanliness of the city, some visitors, such as the Quebec tourists we heard recently, might say that Paris is a clean city! But do they know that the city of Paris spends € 500 million a year to keep it clean? Nevertheless, beware of dog poop on the sidewalks that might make you say a thundering “Shit!”.

That is why many have a strong shock when they realize that the city also has its darker side. In fact, there seems to be a syndrome affecting mostly Japanese and Chinese tourists who don’t find their golden image of Paris.

I love this look at the other side of the city Suzanne and Pierre – it is so true that to really understand a place you have to wander a little into the back streets. I remember getting a taxi to the airport from the Left Bank where we were staying and once you go through the “city gates” it becomes a totally different world grim apartments blocks and evident poverty. Thanks for sharing these photos and have a lovely weekend!

Sorry…Roissy is the same as Charles-de-Gaulle. It is how the Parisians call it because CDG is located in the town of Roissy…so yes, you would definitively have driven through the very poorest of suburbs…

We used to stay a bit further out of town when we were travelling as students in Paris I can’t remember exactly where maybe out Montmartre way – they weren’t tourist spots but had a quaint charm about them such pretty buildings and neighbourhoods not at all wealthy but with so much character🙂

Don’t get me wrong. There are lovely areas outside of the tourist areas but if you look closely there are times when you can notice that life isn’t easy for everyone. And pollution is getting to be a major issue.

Very interesting! And, because I often go far afield in my hunts for (somewhat obscure) architecture, I have seen these types of places and agree with your observations. And you’re right – EVERY city has it’s seedy or impoverished side.

Will your and Pierre’s time in Paris be ending next spring or will you extend your tour of duty another year? Whichever it is, you both have made the absolute most of your enviable situation and have kindly shared it with all your readers. Many thanks to you from this one!

Thanks Anthony. Glad you are still enjoying our blog. We are actually leaving a little early than planned (by 5 months) in early January. So we have about 26 days left in Paris!

We have no more trips planned for December and we are right now summarizing our various impressions of our stay in Paris. We still haven’t decided what we will do with the blog when we get back to Canada – either close it or morph it into something else…

I loved this – I am perhaps a little odd in that I enjoy the down-side of a city as much as the thrill of the familiar and glamourous. Paris is particularly stark in her contrasts I think because she is such mythical bird.

Thanks Osyth. You aren’t alone as we also like to discover the other side of cities we visit. You are right about Paris and I think most tourists don’t want to see what might disturb their golden image of Paris.

Thanks for your note. Yes, Paris has its other side but most tourists don’t really want to see it (or admit it).

Yes, we are moving back to Canada. Our move was never a permanent one though we are leaving a little earlier than the original plan (by 5 months). We certainly will be back but I don’t know if we will come back to live here for extended period of time as we have been doing for the last 2 1/2 years.

ok then enjoy the expat life and until next time.Nice reading your pages. And I agree too many folks reading the same books going to the same chic places. Paris has more meaning then that at least to me, but very hard to change the LP mentally ::) Salut